Improved skate-fastener



@Sluiten gieten utsnt @frn E. H. BARNEY AND JOHN BERRY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent IVO. 66,935, dated July 23, 1867. i

IMPROVED SKATE-FASTENER.

'IO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, E. I-I. BARNEY and JOHN BERRY, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improved Skate-Fastener or Key; and we do hereby declare that the followin is a'full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which.-

Figure l'is a side view of the key.

Figure 2 is an end view.

Figure' 3 is a plan of a. heell tcmplet, and

Figure 4 is a vertical section through line C D of g. 3.

The nature of my invention consists in combining in one instrument thc different articles used to assist in securing a skate to the boot, so that the instrument shall be compact and convenient to be carried in the pocket.

In the skate manufactured by us, and known in the market as the New York Club Skate, and also in other skates, the heel-plate is provided with a button, which is of' nearly the same shape as the button e, fig. I. The templet A is inserted in the heel of the boot, and secured therein by the screws z 7L, the opening @running longitudinally with the lengt-h of the boot. Vt'rhen the skateis to be adjusted to the boot the skate is held at aright angle to the length ot' the boot, the button upon the heel of the skate is insertedl in the aperture cof the tcmplet A, and the skate is then turned parallel to and placed upon the forward part of the boot, and is secured to the boot by clamps operated by a screw, m, having a square head, n. The under edge of the aperture c of the templet A, at each end of the aperture, is rounded ci?, while at the middle of the aperture the corner is left on. This rounding of the under edge of the aperture e, as shown by dotted lines around the aperture c, is necessary, in order to properly and firmly secure the heel of the skate to the boot, and acts as a cam, to draw the button upon the heel-plate of the skate up into the templet tightly, and keeps the skate in place upon the boot rmly. In wearing the boot in walking, this aperture, being rounded upon the under or inside, easily becomes filled with dirt, ice, or snow, which hardens in the aperture and is difficult to remove. To easily accomplish this, the handle 0l of the key is -pro'vided with the point f, which may be more 0r less sharpened, which point is used to cut or dig out the dirt, ice, or snow which may be collected in the aperture c, and the button e upon the key is then inserted in the aperture c and turned around, which more etfectually removes any dirt, ice, or snow which could not'be removed by the point f. he other end of the fastener or key is erilarged, and provided with the socket B, which is placed upon thesquare head n of the screw m, and by turning the key or fastener the screw operates the clamps and tightens the skate upon 0r loosens it from the boot, as is desirable.

Theinstrument is simple in its construction, is not liable to get out of order, and can be carried in the pocketwithout inconvenience.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Paten-t is As a new article of manufacture, a skate-fastener or key, composed of the socket B, the point f, and 'the button a, when made or combined in one piece, substantially as herein described and for the purposes set forth.

E. H. BARNEY, JOHN BERRY.

Witnesses H. F. KILBURN, OGDEN GnIswoLD. 

